Overwhelming Times

So many good people rising to the occasion. So many. I cannot even get into it, so here is a WPA poster - remember this was during the time of The Dust Bowl. From the Library of Congress, of course.

Custom poster

This is color altered to coordinate with the dining room decor. Looks nice!

So many problems to be solved

Three recent eras in the US of great possibility; the New Deal, the Space Age and the Obama Hope years are balm to my distress with the constant deluge of so much ugliness and struggle. As a media person - words and images - my mission is communicating, catching one’s eyes and tickling the mind and tugging the heart. The New Deal era powered a patriotic can-doism; the Space Age (the years when I grew up) was full of wonder at science and technology; and the Obama Hope era, which we are currently still in, (maybe) promises Green technology for a better future for us all. Greener, cleaner, more abundance for the planet as a whole, inclusive.

So, how to appeal these awesome possibilities to an often cynical population? The accomplishments that make all our lives better, more comfortable, cleaner - smart phones, GPS, AI, robotics, renewables etc - we quickly get used to these amazing advancements. It is only human nature to focus on bad news and there’s more than enough of that. Yet, the future will continue to get better and better - if we commit to it. So why is this message not articulated more persuasively? Well, we can start with a giant well-funded propaganda machine here in the US driving hate and negativity, which most pointedly derides all things government. But that doesn’t cancel out the positive and inspiring, the ambitious and audacious. Of course there will always be elements that drag us down. I will grapple with imagining and image-ing this promise of a better future.

There are many exciting thinkers out there today. I just love listening to ideas for how to solve x and y. I am finding this in (mostly female!) economists such as Marianna Mazzucato, and engineers such as Saul Griffith. So how to put this messaging into a graphic? There are lots of great media that effectively reach people, especially the short (Youtube or Instagram) video, but my jam is the poster so that’s where I will be. Here’s a start.

Dear Reader, I am open to suggestions. Words are not my strong suit. Help me out here peeps!

Dogs

These are available in 8x10, in contrast to most of my work which is 13x19

Gardens during wartime - like wearing a mask in public, its the patriotic thing to do

This is from the early 40s and is by Herbert Bayer, who went on the be a total Mad Men era designer. This poster was commissioned by the Rural Electrification effort, curiously. Bayer had a super interesting story, check it out.Image courtesy of LOC of course

The most beautiful spring

Yes we have all had more time to slow down and observe it but its been exceptional in a part of the world that has exceptional spring glory. The perfect clear blue skies have been a reminder of what our environment should be like, not the hazy that’s become the norm. How many of us have rededicated ourselves to living gently on the earth. To refusing to bring any more plastic into our homes, into our lives. To reassessing every automobile trip and realizing most of them are unnecessary. To living with less stuff, less busy, is no hardship.

So nice to see posters grouped in unexpected ways

Love getting these pictures

From purchasers of my artwork who so thoughtfully send photos of it installed in their homes :-) Really brightens some of these dark days. Wishing hope and light to all, gratitude, Barbara

Consider tipping - click on Buy Now and see Options for Donations in increments of of $100s and $10s. Thank you so much

Virus-related total dropoff in sales (galleries and markets are closed for the foreseeable future, orders cancelled) and commissions is bad news for those of us who make our living through our art. UPDATE: I am floored that unemployment is available. If I dedicate every penny of it maybe I can pay our health insurance. Please donate through the Online Store - or consider a home portrait to brighten these dark days - we’re all certainly spending a lot of time there!

If joy is cherry blossoms and polka dots

As per designer Ingrid Fetell Lee’s TEd talk (and I think she’s right) we are living in a Yayoi Kusama installation right now

Joy

see 2/26 blog post referencing Youtube talk by a person who researched what gives us joy - cherry blossoms AND polka dots appeared this dark morning in this dark time. Be well.

Going Down Fighting

Play it LOUD

Come on, you’re the one that brought us here, I can’t believe what you say, tell me you’re kidding
Hell no, you’re not gonna leave us stranded here, no way, you’ve ruined everything
Can’t you see we’re lost without you, though we hate to say
There's so much at cost; you know it’s true, and you can only take

Oh, we’ve heard it all before, and now we’ll hear it once again
Take your cut and go, leave us out in the cold, you can never get away, not this time

Going down fighting

If you never want us to return again that’s fine with me, not gonna stand for thievery
I know, you probably think that you’re gonna get away with your little game, but rules are made for breaking
Can’t you see we’re lost
There's so much at cost

Oh we’ve heard it all before, and now we’ll hear it once again
Stop this lying to yourself
You’re crying to an empty floor, and we are not to blame
Stop denying

by Unleash the Archers, 2017

Bright spot in this dark time

Cultivate your garden whether metaphorical or the real deal. Nurture kindness. We are all in this together.

Statue for the common man, that's all of us (mostly all)

More about this proposed statue here if you are interested

Joy!

Is cherry blossoms and bubbles and polka dots. It’s been researched - and here is a delightful Ted talk about it - about delight.

Was known for my polka dotted minivan back in the day

Mind mending history

Have to stop the audio every other sentence to digest the information.

932 pages. I listen to these bigass books as I work. Bad as things are things are better than they were - ? Gottta fight for your right!

Amy Berman Jackson

Repost of this contemporary federal judge, a she-hero who I created a poster of many months ago. She is in the news as our fascist-in-chief denounces her for doing the job she is entrusted to do -telling the truth- which he finds is not in favor of his crimey friends. Wah wah wah. Of course a female is his preferred target for abuse. Really worrying times and though I usually avoid politics on this blog and prefer to limit it it to WorldProgressAssociation.org this stuff needs to be said in polite company.